green public space

WOLFE TONE SQUARE – NOW A GREEN SPACE

Wolfe Tone Park, also known as Wolfe Tone Square is a public space in Dublin, Ireland. Named for Theobald Wolfe Tone (1763–1798), the park is the site of a graveyard that was attached to St. Mary’s Church. The graveyard was deconsecrated in 1966 and laid out as a green park. In 1998, Dublin City Council held an international competition to redesign the park, which was won by Peter Cody of Boyd Cody Architects.

The park is the final resting place of the United Irishman Archibald Hamilton Rowan (1751–1834), Mary Mercer, founder of Mercer’s Hospital (died 1734), the philosopher Francis Hutcheson (1694–1746), Sir Boyle Roche, 1st Baronet (1736–1807), an Irish politician and member of the Irish House of Commons, parish rector William Fletcher (1715–1771),[2] and Lord Norbury (1745–1831; known colloquially as the hanging judge).

Since the park layout was changed back in 2002, the park had been made available by Dublin City Council for events – such as the Dublin Fringe Festival. However, following a campaign from local residents to restore “Wolfe Tone Park as a non-commercial green space” Dublin undertook what they referred to as the Wolfe Tone Park & Street Environmental Improvement Scheme.

Wolfe Tone Park & Street Environmental Improvement Scheme offers a new destination point for all, as an ever-changing civic space where daily life and spectacle collide. The contextual design offers a thriving and inviting multi-use urban space for all ages and abilities, to be treasured by residents, workers and visitors. The design consists of two phases:

Phase one, the redesign and refurbishment of Wolfe Tone Street to create a more pedestrian friendly environment with new public lighting and street furniture and the use of a historic materials palette, creating both a high quality environment and character area.

Phase two involves the refurbishment of Wolfe Tone Park, everything within the park has been designed with intent: from the proposed new feature lawn, the retention of the existing mature trees, the proposed horticulture, to conservation and recognition of the parks history as a graveyard.

The new design for Wolfe Tone Park & Street Environmental Improvement Scheme will provide a green oasis and destination point in the heart of Dublin’s bustling city centre.